In our contemporary society today, social inclusion and equality between men and women are two major issues globally, yet many business sectors are still dominated by men, and the technology sector does not depart from this general framework, but rather this vital sector seems to be lagging more than other sectors When it comes to hiring and retaining women.

According to a study prepared by Deloitte Global, only 23% of women work in this sector, which is a number that says a lot about discrimination against women in the world of technology, and we can easily ask about this significant decline, and the reasons behind it?

Only 23% of women work in the technology sector (Shutterstock)

The forgotten women of the digital world

Isabelle Collette, a computer scientist and researcher at the University of Geneva, highlights this topic in her book "The Forgotten Women in the Digital World" issued in 2019, and confirms that women obtained 40% of computer science degrees in the 1980s in Europe and the United States, however. This percentage has now decreased to only about 25%, and it is difficult to understand why, knowing that history is full of women who invented or worked to invent technological developments that are now part of our daily lives.

The first modern computer - invented by Alan Turing in 1940 - was based on the scientific and theoretical foundations devised by the English researcher and scientist, Ada Lovelace, who is considered the first computer programmer in the world.

Australian-American film star Hedy Lamarr, who became famous in the 1940s and 1950s, was also a distinguished computer scientist, and her work on "secret communication systems" was patented in 1942, which later led to the invention of the "Wi-Fi" network ( Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Since then, many women have conquered the tech industry and changed the face of our modern world forever, Colette notes in her book.

More women are currently attracted to work in the technology sector, although only 3% of them said it was their first choice, as researcher Nelly Polizzo stated in her research published by the MoonShot platform last year, and this may be due to the lack of information that They get it from departments and hiring managers in companies, or the lack of women working in those departments, or even the unwillingness to change.

In this context, Sana Spaces, director of digital auditing at Global Signs, says, "Some aspects of the profession remain obscure even to the recruiters themselves."

She describes her recruitment process at the company, “I received an unexpected phone call from a recruitment agency for a screening officer job. At the time, no one knew what this job title meant, and when I asked the person who called me he said: I know it sounds a bit vague, It's not something a lot of people have previous experience with, but we think you're a perfect fit for it."

She added that she went to the interview out of a desire to change and try something new, especially after spending several years in a job she did not like.

Movies depicting tech-obsessed geniuses may not have helped attract women to technology (Shutterstock)

future for women

Women have always been part of the workforce in the technology sector, and they have been among the first innovators in this field, but the truth is that the ratio of women to men has decreased dramatically, and the nineties were a key turning point in this decline, and according to Isabel Collette in her book “The Forgotten Women of the World” digital”, the craze and rise of IT has made it a major stake for ambitious startups that are beginning to hire newly graduated men from universities.

Meanwhile, personal computers appeared, which were often marketed exclusively to fathers and sons, aided by the proliferation of films depicting young men and tech-obsessed geniuses creating new things in their garage to win fame and money at the end of the movie.

And all this may not have helped draw women into the tech industry.

However, the industry now appears to be closing the gender gap, and a Deloitte Global study shows that the world's leading technology companies are aiming to employ nearly 33% of women in their total workforce by the end of 2022, an increase of 2 The number of women in senior tech-related positions will also increase although it tends to lag behind the overall proportion of women by about 8%, the study showed.

We also see that the number of women in America's 8 largest technology companies - including "Apple", "Microsoft", "Amazon" and "Facebook" - increased 238% faster than men, As Anthony Itten, Global Sign's Marketing Director for France, Belgium and Luxembourg mentioned in a recent article.

There are now 3 women in these companies who are considered among the 15 most powerful women in technology in the world, according to the classification of the global magazine "Forbes" (Forbes), they are: Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook, and Meg Whitman, CEO of "HP". (HP), and Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube, Itten mentioned in his article.

The ranking highlights companies such as Girls Who Code, founded by Reshma Sujani, which aims to empower women through technology, and GoldieBox, founded by Debbie Stirling, which promotes engineering and construction toys for girls.

Innovations like this are making the gender gap more effective than ever.

Closing the gender gap is important in the world of technology.

But there are still many hurdles in the way, and the best way to encourage women to join the tech sector will undoubtedly be by providing the necessary information, career guidance and plenty of attendance.

Some universities have started programs that encourage female students to enter science and technology professions (Getty Images)

Leading global initiatives

In recent years, many projects and associations have been established to provide advice and support to women in their careers.

This starts at the university with programs that encourage female students to enter STEM professions, and 4 major European universities have invested in this field: the University of Canterbury in England, BRNO University of Technology in the Czech Republic, and E University ETH in Zurich and Tampere University in Finland, and the female graduation rate from these universities now stands at 35%.

"It's an excellent time to start working in this exciting and crucial career sector, and there are endless opportunities for learning and growth," says Callie Fritsch, Director of Product Marketing at Global Signs.

To support women seeking careers in the cybersecurity industry, the Association for Women in Cyber ​​Security (WiCys) is an excellent source of guidance.

Founded in 2012, the association describes itself as “a global community of women, allies and advocates. We strive to bring together talented women, encourage their passion and drive them to work in the field of cybersecurity, as we bring together professional, ambitious and successful women in the field of cybersecurity around the world to collaborate and share knowledge and experience.” We create opportunities for new women willing to work in this field through professional development programmes, conferences and job fairs.”

In addition, the European Union launched its own Women TechEU employment programme, which is described as “a new EU program to support women-led high-tech startups and help them become the high-tech champions of tomorrow”.

The technology sector is booming globally, and women are making significant progress every day, and we find them as managers, developers and innovators, breaking stereotypes along the way, but all this does not negate the fact that women are still subjected to discrimination even today, especially in salaries and job promotions, and despite all the progress. achieved by women, they still have a long way to go towards equality.